NB Smooth As Silk is launched

NB Smooth As Silk was launched at Braunston and cruised back to Crick for final ballast adjustments, after which the oak planked flooring was installed. She was then cruised to Debdale Wharf to be painted. You can see photos of the interior on our website.

We wish her owners every happiness as they cruise the waterways - keep in touch!!

Jackie & David

D & J Owners Club

D & J Owners Club members are invited to visit us as usual during Crick Show - we look forward to seeing you and hearing about your boating exploits during the past year.

NB Smooth As Silk

NB Smooth As Silk is nearing completion and her owners have kindly given us permission to show her to interested parties who come to our open days during the Crick Show this year. She will still be in our workshop at The Boatshed, Crick Wharf, and we will be inviting showgoers who visit our stand (KF09) in the Kingfisher Marquee to visit the workshop for a cup of tea and a chat about their ideas etc.

You can still keep up to date with her fitout on her photo-stream as before (see post below)

Smooth As Silk

Monday 17th November:



NB Smooth As Silk arrived safe and sound at the Boatshed this morning, by courtesy of Tuckeys, ready for her fit-out to commence.

Don't forget that you can watch her progress on http://www.flickr.com/photos/29297528@N02/

Watch the next D & J Narrowboat build, stage by stage

The owners of NB Smooth As Silk (the next D & J Narrowboat to be fitted out) have set up a facility whereby you can watch their boat develop, stage by stage, starting with the fabrication of the shell by Reeves Boatbuilders, which is already well on the way.

All you need to do is visit
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29297528@N02/
to see the latest photos.

Once the steelwork is completed, the shell will be delivered to the Boatshed and our work will begin. We plan to upload photos weekly to show the fitout in progress.

We hope you will enjoy the process as much as we do

David & Jackie

Another finished boat leaves the boatshed

NB Mellow Daze is fitted out on a 70ft bespoke shell by Mel Davis

Monday 3rd November: Once again the owners of the latest boat watched their pride & joy leave the Boatshed. Since Mellow Daze is 70ft she is too long to be launched at Crick Wharf, so she was taken by road to Braunston and safely launched there.

Tuesday 4th November: David & Jackie arrived bright and early to cruise Mellow Daze back to Crick Wharf where the final touches will be made to her fit-out before she goes to Dave & Russell Mundy for painting

Mellow Daze leaving Braunston bottom lock

Dutch Barging in France

We recently had a very enjoyable holiday in France on our friends' Dutch Barge.

We were on a very rural stretch of the Canal Nivernais which was very quiet and peaceful. All of the locks were manned (we should say mostly womanned actually) and most were very pretty with flower beds and curiosities such as the little shed below.

In our normal style we didn't travel a great distance, but had a very relaxing time. We managed to have a look around in the towns of Auxerre and Clamecy - both very lovely and very French.

Jackie's school-girl French of x*! years ago was excercised to the full with the only disaster being the look on David's face when she attempted to order "assiettes de la mer" for two and received one between two, with an empty plate being put in front of David! Luckily our friends who we were with had a little more French so we got by well enough and are now enthusiastically planning to book in for evening classes.

Well, it's back to work with us now. Don't forget to let us know about your own Summer cruising.

David & Jackie

Crick Show

Two years ago there was the fire, last year there were floods, and this year we had the tempest (high winds as well as rain, which closed the show a day early) - what can we look forward to next year? A plague of locusts?

On a happier note, we had visits at the Boatshed from most DJNOC members during the show, some on Saturday afternoon and some on Sunday. Both occasions proved to be enjoyable, as well as a welcome respite from the weather and a chance to dry out coats etc.

A big thank you to all of you - see you again soon!

David & Jackie

Open Days during Crick Show

We are holding Open Days at The Boatshed during Crick Show this year. We will be open from 2pm until 5pm on Sat, Sun & Mon (24th, 25th & 26th May) so that people attending the show can come across to the workshop to meet us.

We would also like to invite all members of the DJNOC (D & J Narrowboats Owner's Club) to pop over for drinks and nibbles, and, to enable as many members as possible to meet up with each other, I suggest we make Sunday afternoon the "Club Meeting". Of course, anyone who can't make it that day will be very welcome on Saturday or Monday instead.

Looking forward to seeing you

David & Jackie

L'Esprit de Liberte

We were very excited to receive the following email from the current owners of our very first narrowboat:

"16/3/08
Dear D & J,
A friend sent us a link to your blog of the 5 June 2007, showing your original boat L'Esprit de Liberte, moored at Wheelock - which our daughter, Clare, owned and was living on at the time!
She bought the boat from Nantwich marina at the end of 2005 when she (the boat not Clare) was in a very sad state. The previous owner had lived on board and seriously neglected her, resulting in Clare 'picking up a bargain'! It was very interesting reading about the genesis of the boat and your obvious passion for detail and quality.
As I mentioned, when Clare saw the boat it was in a very sorry state, but she saw through the grime and neglect and recognised the 'quality within', something which has been remarked upon by all who have subsequently seen the boat.
We have ourselves been narrow boating, via shared ownership, for a number of years and our other daughter lives on boat on the K&A, so we also recognised a boat with clearly a lot of thought given to the fit-out and finish.
Clare has now moved 'onto the bank' and we have taken over 'Spirit' and are continuing the job of returning her to her former glory. Most of the work is cosmetic, although, as you yourself remarked in the blog, the paintwork is still in excellent condition and the lace work returning from grey to white!
We are looking forward to exploring further a field with her and may at some point even visit her ‘home port’.
It is good to see that your business is doing well and that people recognise the superior quality of your craft.
Regards
David & Sandra"

It is wonderful to hear that she is still being cared for and appreciated by her current owners, and we were certainly very flattered by their kind comments. We have, naturally, invited David & Sandra to visit us whenever they are in the area - we would be very pleased to meet "Freebie's" new owners.

David & Jackie